Every day, millions of pounds of clothing end up in landfills — not because they've reached the end of their useful life, but because most people simply don't know what else to do with them. At Made X Hudson, we think about this problem constantly. As a vertically integrated garment factory and retail studio in the Hudson Valley, fabric scraps are an unavoidable byproduct of what we make — and responsibly managing that waste is part of how we operate. That's why we drop our fabric scraps directly into a local Helpsy collection bin, keeping them out of the trash and putting them back into the circular economy.
Helpsy is one of the largest textile collectors in the United States, diverting over 100,000 pounds of clothing from the waste stream every single day. We sat down with their team to learn exactly how it all works — from bin to bale — and what role everyday consumers can play in reducing fashion's environmental footprint.
Collection & Sorting: How does Helpsy collect textiles and what criteria do you use to sort fabrics for recycling, reuse, or resale?
Helpsy collects over 100,000 pounds of clothing every day through partnerships with more than 1,500 communities, nonprofits, and businesses. Collection methods include municipal bin placements, community clothing drives, and touchless home pickups. Helpsy is a certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation with a mission to keep clothes out of the trash so we accept textiles, clothing, shoes and accessories in any condition as long as they are dry and odorless.
Recycling Process: Can you walk us through what happens to a garment once it enters your recycling system—from intake to final outcome?
Helpsy supplies environmentally sound used goods to thousands of thrift stores, resellers, sorting companies, and ultimately consumers worldwide. A small but growing percentage of the clothing is sorted in house using our proprietary sorting technology which prioritizes items for reuse based on brand and condition. Across the industry, about 40% will be reusable as apparel, 30% will be reused as industrial wipers and 20% can be used as things such as insulation, carpet padding or stuffing (source: Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles).
Types of Fabrics: Are there certain materials that are easier or harder to recycle, and how do you handle items that can't be processed conventionally?
Helpsy is focused on reuse first and foremost however we do provide feedstock of non rewearable end of life items to innovators exploring recycling technology, especially for synthetics like polyester.
Environmental Impact: What measurable environmental benefits come from Helpsy's fabric recycling efforts—for example, in terms of landfill diversion or carbon savings?
In 2024 alone, Helpsy diverted more than 32 million pounds of textiles from the landfill. This work helped save over 4 billion gallons of water and prevented more than 600 million pounds of carbon emissions by offsetting the need for new clothing production.
Community & Industry Role: How does Helpsy partner with businesses, organizations, or communities to expand access to responsible clothing disposal or education about the used clothing industry, and what role can everyday people play in supporting your mission?
Helpsy plays an active role in both local communities and the broader sustainability industry. Last year, we hosted more than 350 community clothing drives and welcomed over 200 guests to our warehouses, while paying over $500,000 to charities and municipalities through bin placements, clothing drives, material purchases, and direct donations. In the U.S., the average person discards more than 100 pounds of textiles each year, with 85% ending up in landfills, even though 95% could be reused or repurposed. Everyday people can support our mission by responsibly discarding unwanted textiles, clothing, shoes, and accessories, and by choosing to buy secondhand or sustainably made apparel.
What You Can Do
If you're in the Hudson Valley or the Northeast, you can find your nearest Helpsy drop-off bin at helpsy.com/find-a-bin. And if you're shopping locally for sustainably made clothing, you know where to find us. We turn a lot of our excess scraps into new designs with our Made X Reworked line, you can check out here.
Photo Credit: Helpsy.com
